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A method for recycling an invert emulsion based drilling fluid, in which the invert emulsion based drilling fluid includes an oil component and an aqueous component. The method includes: mixing the invert emulsion drilling fluid with a emulsion clearing agent, wherein the emulsion clearing agent is

A method for recycling an invert emulsion based drilling fluid, in which the invert emulsion based drilling fluid includes an oil component and an aqueous component. The method includes: mixing the invert emulsion drilling fluid with a emulsion clearing agent, wherein the emulsion clearing agent is a mixture of an anionic tensid and a non-ionic tensid; and separating the oil component of the invert emulsion drilling fluid from the aqueous component of the invert emulsion drilling fluid. The method preferably utilizes an emulsion breaking agent that is a combination of an anionic tensid, a non-ionic tensid and an alkyl polyglycoside tensid.

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1. A method of recycling an invert emulsion based drilling fluid, wherein the invert emulsion based drilling fluid includes an oil component and an aqueous component, the method comprising: mixing said invert emulsion drilling fluid with a emulsion clearing agent, wherein said emulsion clearing agen

1. A method of recycling an invert emulsion based drilling fluid, wherein the invert emulsion based drilling fluid includes an oil component and an aqueous component, the method comprising: mixing said invert emulsion drilling fluid with a emulsion clearing agent, wherein said emulsion clearing agent comprises a mixture of a non-ionic tensid and an anionic tensid selected from the group consisting of alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates and alkyl aryl sulfonates wherein the non-ionic tensid is an alkyl polyglycoside; substantially separating the aqueous component of the invert emulsion drilling fluid from the oil component of the invert emulsion drilling fluid, and recycling the oil component for reuse in drilling subterranean wells.2. The method of claim 1, wherein the anionic tensid is selected from the group consisting of: an alkyl sulfate with the formulaR1?O?SO3X where R1 is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C1-22 alkyl radical and X is an alkali or ammonium ion; an alkyl sulfonate with the formula R2?SO3Y where R2 is a C1-30 alkyl radical, and Y is an alkali or ammonium ion; and an alkyl aryl sulfonate with the formula: R4-A-SO3Y where R4 is a C1-22 alkyl radical, A is an aryl group, and Y is an alkali or ammonium ion; and mixtures thereof. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the alkyl polyglycoside has the formula:R7?O-Gn where R7 is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C1-22 alkyl radical, G is a glycose unit, and n is an integer from 1 to 10. 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the mixture further comprises a non-ionic tensid is selected from the group consisting of non-ionic tensids with the formulaR5?O-(EO)nH where R5 is a liner or branched saturated or unsaturated C1-22 alkyl radical, n is a number from 1 to 5, end EO is an ethylene oxide radical, propylene oxide radical, or butylene oxide radical or mixture thereof; and R5?O-(EO)mR6 where R5 is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C1-22 alkyl radical, R6 is a linear or branched alkyl radical, saturated or unsaturated C1-22 alkyl radical, EO is an ethylene oxide radical, propylene oxide radical, or butylene oxide radical or mixture thereof and m is a number from 1 to 50, and mixtures thereof. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the emulsion clearing agent is a combination of an anionic tensid, a non-ionic tensid and an alkyl polyglycoside tensid.6. The method of claim 1, wherein the separating of the water component from the invert emulsion component is accomplished in a settling tank.7. The method of claim 1, wherein the separating of the water component from the invert emulsion component is accomplished by a cyclone separator.8. The method of claim 1, wherein invert emulsion has an oil to water ratio of about 10/90 to about 90/10.9. The method of claim 1, wherein the invert emulsion further contains a weighting material, said weighting material being selected from barite, calcite, mullite, gallena, manganese oxides, iron oxides, and mixtures of these.10. The method of claim 1, wherein the oil component of the invert emulsion drilling fluid is selected from diesel oil, mineral oil, synthetic oil, C10-C19 alkyl and alkylene hydrocarbons, ester oils, glycerides of fatty acids, aliphatic esters, aliphatic ethers, or aliphatic acetals, or combinations of these.11. The method of claim 1, wherein the emulsion clearing agent is a combination of an anionic tensid, a non-ionic tensid and a sugar tensid.12. The method of claim 1, wherein the anionic tensid and nonionic tensid are present in a combined amount of about 0.01 to about 15% by volume of the total liquid treated.13. The method of claim 1, wherein the anionic tensid and nonionic tensid are present in a combined amount of about 0.1 to about 10% by volume of the total liquid treated.14. The method of claim 1, wherein the anionic tensid and nonionic tensid are present in a combined amount of about 1.0 to about 5% by volume of the total liquid treated.15. A method of dewatering a used invert emulsion drilling fluid, wherein the used invert emulsion drilling fluid includes an oil component and an aqueous component, the method comprising: mixing said used invert emulsion drilling fluid with a emulsion clearing agent, wherein the emulsion clearing agent is a combination of an anionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkyl sulfates, alkyl sulfonates and alkyl aryl sulfonates, a non-ionic surfactant and an alkyl polyglycoside surfactant; substantially separating the aqueous component of the used invert emulsion drilling fluid from the oil component of the used invert emulsion drilling fluid to give a dewatered invert emulsion, and reusing the dewatered invert emulsion in drilling subterranean wells.16. The method of claim 15, wherein the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of:an alkyl sulfate with the formula R1?O?SO3X where R1 is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C1-22 alkyl radical and X is an alkali or ammonium ion; an alkyl sulfonate with the formula R2?SO3Y where R2 is a C1-30 alkyl radical, and Y is an alkali or ammonium ion; and an alkyl aryl sulfonate with the formula: R4-A-SO3Y where R4 is a C1-22 alkyl radical, A is an aryl group, and Y is an alkali or ammonium ion; and mixtures thereof. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the non-ionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of non-ionic surfactants with the formulaR5?O-(EO)nH where R5 is a liner or branched, saturated or unsaturated C1-22 alkyl radical, n is a number from 1 to 5, and EO is an ethylene oxide radical, propylene oxide radical, or butylene oxide radical or mixture thereof; and R5?O-(EO)mR6 where R5 is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C1-22 alkyl radical, R6 is a linear or branched alkyl radical, saturated or unsaturated C1-22 alkyl radical, EO is an ethylene oxide radical, propylene oxide radical, or butylene oxide radical or mixture thereof and m is a number from 1 to 50, and mixtures thereof.